It's Springtime and also the season when the whole Kashmir Valley turns into a floral wonderland. While thousands of tourists are visiting Kashmir's famous gardens, it's the mustard fields that have become a new attraction for tourists this year. Hundreds of tourists are visiting various mustard fields in the Kashmir region.&nbsp;

The golden mustard fields in South Kashmir's Pampore area with snow-covered Zabarwan mountains in the backdrop have become a huge attraction for the tourists visiting the Kashmir Valley. Hundreds of tourists are stopping on the national highway to visit these fields. Most of these tourists are trying to recreate the scenes from the Bollywood blockbuster Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.&nbsp;

''It's so beautiful here.&nbsp;I have seen the mustard fields in the Bollywood movie Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and wanted to recreate the scene. It's very beautiful, we will go to Tulip Garden also but this is a natural beauty and everyone should explore it. I did not expect this. While we were on our way to Pahalgam, we saw the fields I asked my driver to stop so that I could take pictures. Kashmiris are the politest and kind people in the whole country,"&nbsp;said Isha, a tourist from Delhi.&nbsp;

Tourists mostly visiting resorts in&nbsp;Pahalgam and Gulmarg take a stop at these mustard fields.&nbsp;

''It has its own charm; mustard fields are always amazing and give a village feel. We were trying to recreate the DDLJ scene. We went to Gulmarg and Pahalgam and today we are going to the gardens and also stopped here to enjoy the mustard fields. Once I go back, I will go with a message that everyone should come here for sure,'' said Manjit, a tourist.&nbsp;

The government's National Oilseeds Mission also plans to expand oilseed cultivation, particularly mustard in the Kashmir Valley. The National Oilseeds Mission aims to expand oilseed cultivation to 140,000 hectares by 2023-24, a remarkable 253.12% increase.

''We used to have very little mustard farming, but in the last few years, we have been focussing on increasing the mustard farms. We have increased around 500 hectares of land this year for mustard cultivation, especially on this national highway used by tourists. We started agro-tourism here on the highway. These are the same fields as saffron, and a lot of tourists visit at that time and now due to the mustard more tourists are coming here during the spring as well. A lot of people are stopping here to take pictures and this farming also helps honeybees to increase the apiculture,'' said Ishtiaq Ahmad Bhat, Agriculture Officer.&nbsp;

The government of Jammu and Kashmir is working hard to add more and more tourist attractions for the visitors coming to the Kashmir Valley.&nbsp;

It's Springtime and also the season when the whole Kashmir Valley turns into a floral wonderland. While thousands of tourists are visiting Kashmir's famous gardens, it's the mustard fields that have become a new attraction for tourists this year.

It's Springtime and also the season when the whole Kashmir Valley turns into a floral wonderland. While thousands of tourists are visiting Kashmir's famous gardens, it's the mustard fields that have become a new attraction for tourists this year. Hundreds of tourists are visiting various mustard fields in the Kashmir region. The golden mustard fields in South Kashmir's Pampore area with snow-covered Zabarwan mountains in the backdrop have become a huge attraction for the tourists visiting the Kashmir Valley. Hundreds of tourists are stopping on the national highway to visit these fields. Most of these tourists are trying to recreate the scenes from the Bollywood blockbuster Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. ''It's so beautiful here. I have seen the mustard fields in the Bollywood movie Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and wanted to recreate the scene. It's very beautiful, we will go to Tulip Garden also but this is a natural beauty and everyone should explore it. I did not expect this. While we were on our way to Pahalgam, we saw the fields I asked my driver to stop so that I could take pictures. Kashmiris are the politest and kind people in the whole country," said Isha, a tourist from Delhi. Tourists mostly visiting resorts in Pahalgam and Gulmarg take a stop at these mustard fields. ''It has its own charm; mustard fields are always amazing and give a village feel. We were trying to recreate the DDLJ scene. We went to Gulmarg and Pahalgam and today we are going to the gardens and also stopped here to enjoy the mustard fields. Once I go back, I will go with a message that everyone should come here for sure,'' said Manjit, a tourist. The government's National Oilseeds Mission also plans to expand oilseed cultivation, particularly mustard in the Kashmir Valley. The National Oilseeds Mission aims to expand oilseed cultivation to 140,000 hectares by 2023-24, a remarkable 253.12% increase. ''We used to have very little mustard farming, but in the last few years, we have been focussing on increasing the mustard farms. We have increased around 500 hectares of land this year for mustard cultivation, especially on this national highway used by tourists. We started agro-tourism here on the highway. These are the same fields as saffron, and a lot of tourists visit at that time and now due to the mustard more tourists are coming here during the spring as well. A lot of people are stopping here to take pictures and this farming also helps honeybees to increase the apiculture,'' said Ishtiaq Ahmad Bhat, Agriculture Officer. The government of Jammu and Kashmir is working hard to add more and more tourist attractions for the visitors coming to the Kashmir Valley.

India: Mustard fields become new tourist attraction in Kashmir Valley

So far, the mustard fields of Kashmir Valley were only seen in film shoots, social networking sites and people taking selfies, but now the Valley is headed for a ‘Yellow Revolution’. 
 
The Jammu and Kashmir government has said, according to an estimate, mustard oil worth Rs 800 crore ($98 million) will be produced this year only in the Kashmir Valley and the Union Territory will move towards self-sufficiency in the production.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/road-rage-in-kashmir-traffic-police-counsel-stunt-bikers-their-parents-after-huge-spike-in-accidents-582460">Road rage in Kashmir: Traffic police counsel stunt bikers, their parents after huge spike in accidents</a>

The Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha said that “Kashmir division is witnessing ‘Yellow Revolution’ with oilseed crops registering significant growth. There will be additional opportunities for oil extraction and value addition and therefore more entrepreneurial opportunities for people.”

The Lt. Governor Sinha highlighted the efforts of the UT Government to realize the true growth potential of Jammu Kashmir and lauded the efforts of progressive farming and improving agricultural productivity and encouraging the adoption of new agriculture techniques.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/tamil-nadu-iaf-chopper-forest-department-get-closer-to-dousing-forest-fire-583265">Tamil Nadu: IAF chopper, forest department get closer to dousing forest fire</a>

He also said the Jammu and Kashmir administration with citizens’ participation is steering the change in the socio-economic landscape of the Union Territory. The collective effort is to create a more progressive, growth-oriented and aspirational society and lay a strong foundation for the journey of the next 25 years. 
 
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So far, the mustard fields of Kashmir Valley were only seen in film shoots, social networking sites and people taking selfies, but now the Valley is headed for a ‘Yellow Revolution’.

So far, the mustard fields of Kashmir Valley were only seen in film shoots, social networking sites and people taking selfies, but now the Valley is headed for a ‘Yellow Revolution’. The Jammu and Kashmir government has said, according to an estimate, mustard oil worth Rs 800 crore ($98 million) will be produced this year only in the Kashmir Valley and the Union Territory will move towards self-sufficiency in the production. ALSO READ | Road rage in Kashmir: Traffic police counsel stunt bikers, their parents after huge spike in accidents The Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha said that “Kashmir division is witnessing ‘Yellow Revolution’ with oilseed crops registering significant growth. There will be additional opportunities for oil extraction and value addition and therefore more entrepreneurial opportunities for people.” The Lt. Governor Sinha highlighted the efforts of the UT Government to realize the true growth potential of Jammu Kashmir and lauded the efforts of progressive farming and improving agricultural productivity and encouraging the adoption of new agriculture techniques. ALSO READ | Tamil Nadu: IAF chopper, forest department get closer to dousing forest fire He also said the Jammu and Kashmir administration with citizens’ participation is steering the change in the socio-economic landscape of the Union Territory. The collective effort is to create a more progressive, growth-oriented and aspirational society and lay a strong foundation for the journey of the next 25 years. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

India: Kashmir to produce mustard oil worth $98 million this year, says government

The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) under the Union environment ministry of India has recommended the environmental release of genetically modified mustard which, according to experts, paves the way for its commercial cultivation.

The move comes amid opposition from green groups which say commercial cultivation of GM mustard could have an adverse impact on human health and food security.

At a meeting on October 18, the GEAC, the country’s regulator for genetically modified organisms, recommended the “environmental release of mustard hybrid DMH-11 for its seed production and testing as per existing ICAR guidelines and other extant rules/regulations before commercial release”.

The transgenic mustard hybrid DMH-11 has been developed by the Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants (CGMCP) at Delhi University. &nbsp;The government has so far approved (in 2002) only one GM crop, Bt cotton, for commercial cultivation.

Those supporting commercial cultivation of GM crops say its benefits include greater food security due to increased yields, reduced costs for food production, reduced need for pesticides and resistance to pests and disease. &nbsp;

Kavitha Kuruganti, the founder of the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture, said: “The claim that GM mustard will increase yield is not supported by the data submitted by the crop developers to the regulator.”&nbsp;

Asked if the recommendation for “environmental release” means a go-ahead of commercial cultivation, she said: “It has been approved for commercial release. They (the GEAC) are saying any test needed can be conducted after the environmental release.”&nbsp;

Kuruganti, who is a member of the Coalition for GM-free India, said Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav had earlier voiced his views against GM crops. &nbsp;

“It is the regulator which has given a green signal. The minister should not approve it,” she said. &nbsp;

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Coalition for a GM-Free India said: “This compromises biosafety in serious and objectionable ways, and we ask the government not to move forward in allowing this dangerous herbicide tolerant food crop in India.”&nbsp;

The coalition had recently written to Yadav that “GM mustard uses the pretext of creating hybrid technology in a plant like mustard but in effect is a herbicide tolerant crop. The entire biosafety assessment of GM mustard so far has not taken this fact into account”. &nbsp;

“Also ignored in the regulatory tests is the fact that a deadly herbicide like glufosinate will be used along with this GMO (there is adequate evidence of adverse impacts of this herbicide on health and environment for this to have raised warning bells for our regulators; this includes the emergence of ‘superweeds’)."

“This showcases a very serious deficiency in our regulatory regime,” the letter dated October 20 read.

GM mustard is a herbicide tolerant and toxic hybrid that will dramatically increase the presence of toxic chemicals in our food and soil and hence, impact health, said Rohin Kynar, Senior Agriculture Campaigner, Greenpeace India.

“There also seem to be serious lapses on the safety assessment protocols adopted for GM mustard as highlighted by GM-free groups — there was no place for environmental risk assessment when the GM mustard application was processed,” he said.

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The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) under the Union environment ministry of India has recommended the environmental release of genetically modified mustard which, according to experts, paves the way for its commercial cultivation.

The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) under the Union environment ministry of India has recommended the environmental release of genetically modified mustard which, according to experts, paves the way for its commercial cultivation. The move comes amid opposition from green groups which say commercial cultivation of GM mustard could have an adverse impact on human health and food security. At a meeting on October 18, the GEAC, the country’s regulator for genetically modified organisms, recommended the “environmental release of mustard hybrid DMH-11 for its seed production and testing as per existing ICAR guidelines and other extant rules/regulations before commercial release”. The transgenic mustard hybrid DMH-11 has been developed by the Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants (CGMCP) at Delhi University. The government has so far approved (in 2002) only one GM crop, Bt cotton, for commercial cultivation. Those supporting commercial cultivation of GM crops say its benefits include greater food security due to increased yields, reduced costs for food production, reduced need for pesticides and resistance to pests and disease. Kavitha Kuruganti, the founder of the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture, said: “The claim that GM mustard will increase yield is not supported by the data submitted by the crop developers to the regulator.” Asked if the recommendation for “environmental release” means a go-ahead of commercial cultivation, she said: “It has been approved for commercial release. They (the GEAC) are saying any test needed can be conducted after the environmental release.” Kuruganti, who is a member of the Coalition for GM-free India, said Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav had earlier voiced his views against GM crops. “It is the regulator which has given a green signal. The minister should not approve it,” she said. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Coalition for a GM-Free India said: “This compromises biosafety in serious and objectionable ways, and we ask the government not to move forward in allowing this dangerous herbicide tolerant food crop in India.” The coalition had recently written to Yadav that “GM mustard uses the pretext of creating hybrid technology in a plant like mustard but in effect is a herbicide tolerant crop. The entire biosafety assessment of GM mustard so far has not taken this fact into account”. “Also ignored in the regulatory tests is the fact that a deadly herbicide like glufosinate will be used along with this GMO (there is adequate evidence of adverse impacts of this herbicide on health and environment for this to have raised warning bells for our regulators; this includes the emergence of ‘superweeds’)." “This showcases a very serious deficiency in our regulatory regime,” the letter dated October 20 read. GM mustard is a herbicide tolerant and toxic hybrid that will dramatically increase the presence of toxic chemicals in our food and soil and hence, impact health, said Rohin Kynar, Senior Agriculture Campaigner, Greenpeace India. “There also seem to be serious lapses on the safety assessment protocols adopted for GM mustard as highlighted by GM-free groups — there was no place for environmental risk assessment when the GM mustard application was processed,” he said. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

India’s biotech regulator recommends environmental release of GM mustard

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